Pacifica for Sale
by OnceUponAHarryJackson
Summary: Honestly, Pacifica had expected being kidnapped and held for ransom to be worse. Sure, there had been the whole pushed-out-a-window-in-the-dead-of-night-and-dragged-onto-a-pirate-ship thing, but now that that was over and done with, it wasn't half bad - although Pacifica had to admit that Mabel was what made it bearable. {Mabifica Pirate AU. Rated T for language and my paranoia.}
1. I: Kidnapped

**A/N: Hi guys, Juli here! Long time no see! I got inspired by a Tumblr post and just HAD to write this AU. It'll most likely be 10 chapters long, updated every Thursday. Also, apologies for the crappy cover image. I tried to draw pixel art with a mouse.**

Normally, Pacifica Northwest woke up to birdsong and morning light. Breaking glass and darkness? That was new.

She rubbed her eyes blearily and sat up in bed. "Marie?" she called out, hoping her maidservant could explain why her beauty sleep had been interrupted. No answer.

"Mar- _umph_!" Pacifica's exclamation was cut off by a wadded piece of cloth being shoved into her mouth. She spluttered at the sudden greasy taste, the cloth effectively cutting off her sounds of protest. Hands roughly grabbed her upper arms and hauled her out of bed.

"Mmph!" Pacifica grunted as she was forcefully propelled across the floor. She struggled against the iron grip on her arms, throwing out elbows and kicks at random, but her attacker was never within reach.

 _Correction_ , Pacifica thought. _Attacker_ _ **s**_. In the patch of moonlight by her shattered window, she could see two distinct forms. Both were taller than her, and lean. Their faces were unilluminated, but she could tell enough about their bodies to see that one was male and the other female.

The duo hoisted her up onto the windowsill by the arms, then jumped up on either side of her. "I'll go down the rope first," whispered the boy, his voice surprisingly young-sounding. "Then, _Miss Northwest_ –" here his voice became sarcastic – "you'll slide on down. Nice and easy!" He resumed a normal tone. "Mabel, you go last so she can't climb back up."

The girl saluted. "You got it, Dippin Dots!"

The boy sighed, like he was used to being called strange nicknames, and nimbly hopped out the window, grabbed onto the aforementioned rope, and began to slide down.

Mabel prodded her shoulder, just a little harder than playful, and said, "Your turn! Slide on down."

Pacifica turned to look at her, giving her kidnapper an _are-you-even-serious-no-way-am-i-doing-this_ stare. Mabel nodded encouragingly.

"There's always the other option," Mabel said cheerfully. "And trust me, you won't like it."

Pacifica shuddered and sat down on the window sill. She felt around for the rope, getting a good hold on it before tentatively beginning to descend.

Above her, she saw Mabel climb out the window and rappel down the length of the rope, her flowy skirt billowing out around her.

"Hey, hurry it up down there!" she said, catching up to Pacifica. "You climb like an armless siren."

Pacifica rolled her eyes, but climbed a little bit faster.

It felt like hours before Pacifica touched the ground. She'd never realized just how tall seven stories was before. Scaling her house had given her a new appreciation for its height.

The boy glared at the two of them upon their arrival. "Could you two have climbed any slower? I waited forever."

Pacifica fixed him with a glare. "Mmph mmph mmph," she said, forgetting momentarily about the saliva-soaked gag still in her mouth. She made a sound of frustration and pulled it out, thankful her arms were still free. "If you're going to kidnap me, at least do it with some _manners_ ," she said angrily.

The boy scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to bring the velvet carpet for you to walk back to the ship on, will satin do? And my sincerest apologies for making you climb down a rope. We should have used the grand stairway."

"You've got some real nerve, breaking into my bedroom and trying to kidnap me. I'll have you know that the Northwest Mansion is guarded around the clock. I could literally scream for help right here, right now." Pacifica's eyes slowly brightened as the idea sank in. "Wait… I _could_ scream for help!" She cupped her hands around her mouth and began to yell at the top of her lungs. "HELP! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED!" She sprinted back toward the house at full tilt, still screaming. "HELP! HELP!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain registered on the back of Pacifica's head. The ground teetered, then swooped towards her as the world faded and went black.


	2. II: Maybe

**A/N: Here it is! Chapter Two! Enjoy, y'all! Oh, and please, please review. Constructive criticism, praise, even flames (do people still call them flames?) – it's all appreciated.**

Pacifica woke with a gasp. She sprang up in bed, looking around wildly in frantic confusion. Her surroundings were completely unfamiliar: wooden walls, a tilting floor, and a triangular window framed with a dark metal. Outside, turquoise water splashed and rolled.

… _I'm on a boat?_ Pacifica wondered, her racing heart beginning to slow. _This doesn't look like Father's. His is much more decorated._ She folded back the woven blanket covering her legs, smoothed her silk nightgown, and stood.

"W-whoa!" she said, stumbling slightly. She'd never actually been out at sea, and as she was quickly learning, it was a disorienting experience. A sudden rock made her trip and sit down hard on the bed.

 _I'll just stay sitting for a while_ , Pacifica decided. _It'll probably take little bit to adjust, and then I can walk, although running seems out of the question._

 _Running. I was running._

Just like that, Pacifica's memories of the previous night flooded back to her – the broken window, the two kidnappers, the scaling of her house, her fleeing and almost-escape.

 _This must be their base that they took me to,_ Pacifica thought. _But what kind of a person has their base on a ship?_

She thought for a second, then snapped her fingers. "Pirates," she said aloud. "They're pirates."

As if on a cue, her door burst open and a girl strode into her room.  
"Goooood morning!" she sang.

Pacifica jumped. "Oh, sorry!" the girl said. "I didn't mean to startle you or anything."

Pacifica stared at her. First the girl kidnapped her, then she started acting all nice? What kind of pirate was she?

The girl continued, oblivious to Pacifica's stare. "I brought your breakfast. It might not be what you're used to, but you're on a ship, and it's what we eat here." She set a tray on the end of Pacifica's bed, one of her brown curls spilling forward as she did. "I'm Mabel, by the way."

 _Mabel._ Pacifica found her voice. "You were there – last night. You kidnapped me!" she exclaimed, voice rising.

Mabel made a face. "Sorry about that. We just-"

Pacifica laughed hysterically. "Sorry? _Sorry_?! You kidnapped me from my nice room, in my nice house, with my—well, not nice, but rich enough to make me stick around—family, from my nice life, that didn't have crazy go-go happy marauder girls prancing around messing everything up."

Mabel sighed. "Look, it's not personal, okay? And besides, you won't be aboard the _Mystery Shack_ for long—that's our ship, if you didn't know. As soon as Grunkle Stan sends your parents the ransom notice, which will be within a week, we'll head back into port. And once your parents reply, it shouldn't be much more than a week before we make the switch and you're back to your normal life or whatever. That's only two weeks. Practically no time at all!"

Pacifica lifted her chin. "I don't need your—wait, how long now?"

"Two weeks?" Mabel said.

Pacifica bit her lip. _Two whole weeks._ Fourteen days of no Father, demanding her nonstop excellence. Fourteen days of no Mother, requiring her constant poise. Fourteen days of freedom, here in captivity. A break, per say. A vacation, even, from the exhausting hustle of a life she had. That couldn't be so bad, could it?

"I guess… if it's just two weeks, it might be bearable. Maybe," she said grudgingly.

Mabel grinned. "Great! Hey, if you're really good, I might give you a tour of the _Shack_. Maybe." And with that, the pirate turned on her heel and left Pacifica's cabin, her skirt swishing behind her.

Pacifica sat and stared at the wall. "She's… interesting," Pacifica said aloud. Her stomach rumbled loudly, as if in agreement. Pacifica glanced at the tray Mabel had brought. On it sat a wedge of cheese and a biscuit. She reached over, grabbed the cheese, and took a bite.

 _You know, I might go on that tour of the ship._

 _Maybe._


	3. III: Smile

**A/N: Wow, this chapter is a good two pages longer than the others on Microsoft Word. I guess I got carried away? Also, Dipper DOES NOT hate Paz. It's just like Mabel says, and they're going to end up as great friends. Anyway, if you like it, if you hate it, if you want to give me tips, leave a review! PLEASE!**

"You've gotta admit, it's a pretty great ship we've got here," Mabel said, gesturing grandly at the ship before them.

Pacifica blinked at the sudden flood of sunlight, a contrast to her somewhat dim quarters. "I'll get back to you on that when I can see," she said grumpily.

Mabel laughed. "You know, Paz, you're pretty funny! Hey, can I call you Paz? Pacifica sounds so formal." Without waiting for an answer, she plowed ahead. "Great! You're the best, Paz. Now follow me!"

Pacifica shook her head, sighed, and followed in Mabel's wake.

"Now, first off, we're on the deck. You do know what a deck is, right?" teased Mabel.

Rolling her eyes, Pacifica said, "Of _course_ I know what the deck is, Mabel. Do you take me for an idiot?"

Mabel looked surprised. "Hey!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together excitedly. "You used my name!"

"I, uh- well, yes, I did. What of it?" Pacifica said, raising her nose in the air.

"Nothing, you just seemed – detached, I guess. Uncaring. But you're really a big softie!" Mabel punctuated this with a poke to Pacifica's side.

Pacifica batted her hand away. "I am not!"

"Suuuuure," Mabel said, smiling. "Anyway, we're now approaching the quarterdeck, which is where we steer from. Right now, it's my brother, Dipper, at the helm." The pirate ran up a short flight of steps to where a young man that looked remarkably similar to her held the wheel. Pacifica trailed after her reluctantly.

"Dipper, may I formally introduce to you Paz? We're calling her Paz now. She said it was fine, so it's happening. Okay? Okay." Mabel bounced excitedly around the boy.

"Mabel, could we not do this right now? I'm trying to navigate," the boy said, not looking away from the horizon.

"Yes, what he said. Let's go," Pacifica said. Mabel was okay on her own, but she really didn't need to associate with pirates beyond that. _And besides, wasn't he the boy kidnapping me with Mabel? They sure sounds similar, and that guy didn't seem to like me too much._

The boy looked up sharply at the sound of her voice. "What are you doing out—Mabel, what is she doing out of her room?"

"I was giving her a tour of the ship!" Mabel said defensively.

" _Why?_ " the boy asked incredulously.

"She seemed bored!" said Mabel. "Besides—" here she quieted down, as if she didn't want Pacifica to hear, despite their close proximity "—she isn't half bad, Dipper. Maybe if you were nicer to her, you'd know that."

Dipper sputtered. " _Not half bad_? Mabel, she's our prisoner! Our prisoner that we're holding for ransom! There's no reason to be making _friends_ with her!"

"Really, Dipper. I think she could use a friend. She was happy when I told her she'd be away from her parents for a while, I could tell. And she's been – well, not nice, per say. Nice in her way, I guess, and never outright mean. Just… give her a chance, okay?"

Dipper sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll give her a chance. One chance, and that's it." He turned to Pacifica, sighed again, and reluctantly stuck out his hand. "Dipper Pines," he said. "Nice to sort of meet you, I guess."

Pacifica gingerly took his hand, shook it twice, and said, "Uh, likewise. I'm Pacifica Northwest, but you already knew that, I guess."

Dipper turned back to the horizon. "Well, this has been great, but Mabel, I _really_ need to get back to steering."

Mabel hugged him. "I understand. Bye, Dippity!" She bounced down the stairs, Pacifica walking after her.

"Don't call me that!" Dipper called after them.

The two girls walked in silence for about thirty seconds before Pacifica muttered, "Well, that could have gone better."

Mabel shrugged. "It's Dipper," she said. "He's my twin and my best friend, and I'll always love him, but he takes a long time to warm up to people. We're really different that way." She looked a little sad for a second, then grinned at Pacifica and said, "Wanna see something really cool?"

Pacifica raised a pale eyebrow. "Sure?" she said with some hesitancy.

"Follow me," Mabel said, smiling deviously.

She ran to the nearest mast and started to scramble up the rope ladder leading to the top.

Pacifica's eyes widened. "Mabel, no way am I climbing that," she shouted up at the other girl's steadily retreating form.

Mabel paused, let go with one hand, and swung around to look at Pacifica. "Come on!" she yelled, voice faint, and went back to climbing.

Pacifica sighed and started climbing.

Approximately ten minutes later, Pacifica arrived at the top, out of breath from what she had considered to be a relatively fast scaling of the mast.

"What took you so long?" said Mabel, who was casually leaning against the rim of the crow's nest.

Pacifica crossed her arms defensively. "I don't exactly get climbing practice, cooped up in my tower at home."

"Well, we'll just have to do lots of climbing while you're here!" Mabel said cheerfully. "Anyway, here's what I wanted you to see." She stepped aside and made a sweeping motion with her arm. "Isn't it the prettiest thing you've ever seen?"

In front of them, an enormous expanse of turquoise water glistened and rolled. On the horizon, a green stretch of land extended for leagues, and above them, the sky was a clear and beautiful blue.

Pacifica opened her mouth and, for once, was speechless. "Yeah," she finally said. "Yeah, it is."

Mabel shrugged, smiling as always. "I couldn't imagine you got a ton of views like this in your tower. I thought you'd like it. And wait till you see it at sunset! Oh, it's the best." She turned back to the horizon and smiled wider.

Pacifica smiled, a small, wistful smile, and gazed at Mabel in silence. _This is definitely better than home._

 _Oh. Oh no._

 _Shit._


	4. IV: Convincing

**A/N: Prepare for the pining, guys. (Get it? Pining? Pines? HAHAHAHAimsorry) Anyway, thank you, ye most solitary and lonesome of review leavers. Review or I'll make more puns!**

Pacifica stared sullenly at the wooden ceiling. It was close to noon, and no one – not even Mabel, her most frequent visitor – had been to her room. Her stomach gurgled, as if to say, _And that means no food._ She turned onto her side and sighed. _Today has probably been the most boring four hours of my life._

A knock issued from the other side of the door – three brisk taps. _Finally,_ Pacifica thought, swinging into a sitting position. _Although usually Mabel's more creative, if she knocks at all._ "Come in," she called out, smoothing her nightgown. She frowned down at a stain on the hem and turned to the door. "Hey, Mabel, could I have some…" Pacifica trailed off at the sight of a frowning Dipper in the doorway. "You aren't Mabel," she said slowly.

"Really? So astute of you to notice," he said in a deadpan voice.

Pacifica narrowed her eyes at him. "Look, can you tell me why Mabel isn't here? She's always been the one to bring my breakfast. I… kinda looked forward to it, actually," Pacifica admitted. "She's nice."

Dipper's unfriendly expression softened some. "Long argument short: she got caught," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Grunkle Stan saw you two out on deck together yesterday, and he was _not_ happy about it."

"What?! Why? I didn't do anything wrong, right?" Pacifica asked worriedly. "Is Mabel in trouble with him? It wasn't her fault. Well, it kind of was, but she shouldn't be punished!"

"Calm down," Dipper said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "Jesus, you're more defensive of Mabel than I am. She's in trouble, yeah, but the only real consequence is that she's not allowed to bring you meals anymore. Grunkle Stan thinks it'll be too much of a temptation for her to talk to you more and 'get dangerous ideas.'"

Pacifica scoffed. "Like what, the idea to let me out of here once in a while? He can't be serious."

Dipper shrugged. "Usually he would've caved to Mabel by now on this – he can't say no to her – but he hates losing profit, and if you managed to escape, he'd lose a _lot_ of profit, believe me."

Pacifica groaned and flopped facefirst onto her cot. "Great. First I get kidnapped, then I'm off limits from the _one_ _nice person_ on this entire goddamn ship because I'm about to be bought and sold like cattle." She groaned and knocked her head against the mattress. "Could this get any worse?"

The end of the mattress sunk a little as Dipper sat on it. "Hey," he said, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry about this. But… we're pirates. This is how we make a living. Mabel always gets too attached; she should know by now not to buddy up to prisoners, cause it upsets her every time they leave."

Pacifica turned her head to peek at him through one eye. "I'm… not the first person you two have kidnapped?" His words had sent a little spike of _something_ through her stomach, something nervous and upset that made her feel overlooked.

Dipper smirked. "You think we would've had such a clean kidnapping if you were the first? I mean, there was that whole knocking-you-out-with-a-shoe-cause-you-escaped thing. But trust me, that was not our messiest by _far_."

Pacifica sighed. "And here I was feeling special because I thought I was the only one," she said, halfway serious.

At that, Dipper actually laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you're the only one Mabel snuck out of their room and gave a tour to. I think that counts for something."

"Flattering," Pacifica said with a small smile, although that information did give her a twinge of satisfaction. Maybe she was Mabel's favorite after all.

She shook her head a little. _Where did that come from?_ she thought, as if she didn't know exactly which troublesome part of her brain was whispering that to her. As if she didn't know exactly what was going on. _I can't afford to feel this away about a kidnapper pirate girl that I'll never see again after the two weeks are up!_ she thought desperately.

"Besides," Dipper said, jarring Pacifica out of her thoughts. "Mabel will find a way to convince Grunkle Stan. I know it. So don't worry, okay?" He elbowed Pacifica in the back. "And until then, you know, if you really get bored, you can always talk to me."

Pacifica turned over to look at Dipper. "Really?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Really," he said, and smiled a small smile. He set down the tray on the end of her bed and left the room, and once more, Pacifica was left staring at the doorway.

 _Who knew Dipper could be nice?_ Pacifica thought, shaking her head. A smile crept onto her face as she closed her eyes and hoped Mabel got around to that convincing soon.


	5. V: Deep Breaths

**A/N: AND WE ARE HALFWAY DONE! This one's like double the size of an average chapter. I guess I just got carried away? I'd recommend listening to Down to Ride to the Happy End on 8tracks during this chapter – it captures the feel perfectly! Thank you, creator of said fanmix.**

Relieved didn't even begin to describe how Pacifica felt when Mabel skipped through her door the next day.

"Mabel!" she exclaimed, stopping in the middle of pacing her cabin and rushing over to the pirate.

Mabel's grin lit up her whole face. "Paz, I'm so glad to see you!" she said, reaching out and hugging Pacifica tightly.

Pacifica tensed up, caught off guard. Her heart hammered in her chest as she tentatively reached out and hugged Mabel back.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, a small smile appearing on her face. It felt like hours, standing there in Mabel's arms, smelling cinnamon and salt with each inhale. _Is this what all hugs are like?_

Mabel stepped back and held Pacifica at arm's length. "I missed you!" she said. "It was so boring not being able to come see you. Grunkle Stan was kinda mad that I let you out."

"I heard," Pacifica said. "Dipper came in yesterday and told me the story."

Mabel's eyes widened. "Yeesh," she said. "How mad was he?"

"At you? Not at all. He was actually pretty nice to me," Pacifica admitted. "Hey, wait – did your… uh, grunkle or whatever? Did he lift the ban on coming to see me, or…"

Mabel laughed. "Of course not, silly! He doesn't give up that easily. Not even with me."

"So… you're breaking rules to come see me?" Pacifica frowned worriedly. "Aren't you gonna get in trouble?" She glanced around the room. "And what if he has people watching you to make sure you don't come see me? Mabel, I don't think you should be here."

To Pacifica's surprise, Mabel started laughing.

"What?" Pacifica said. "Mabel? Mabel! Aren't you worried at all? What's he gonna do if he catches you?"

Grinning, Mabel said, "Pacifica, meet my guard." She stepped just outside the door and yelled, "Hey! Wendy! Over here!"

A tall redheaded woman stepped into the room. Twin sabers were slung at her sides. "What's up, Mabel?" she said, leaning against the wall.

"Paz, meet Wendy," said Mabel. "Wendy, meet Paz."

Wendy saluted.

"Wendy is my guard," Mabel explained. "She's _supposed_ to keep me from visiting you. But she's cool with it. It helps that me and Dipper have been friends with her since we were like 12 and first joined the _Mystery Shack_ , but mostly she really doesn't care about following orders."

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "You're sure this is fine? I mean, I don't even want to think about what would happen if I tried this at home."

"Positive," Mabel said. "Now let's go loot the kitchens. I'm hungry." She grabbed Pacifica's arm and pulled her out of her room and into the sunlight.

"Is everything so weird around here?" Pacifica muttered, mostly to herself.

Wendy chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much. You just have to roll with it."

Mabel shushed both of them. "We have to be quiet and stay belowdecks for now," she stage-whispered, gesturing for them to follow her. "Grunkle Stan is navigating for a little bit longer."

They crept along a narrow passageway. Every few yards, there was a doorway. Sometimes they had doors, but more often than not, there was simply an opening into the room beyond. There were rooms full of barrels and sacks, rooms with rows of hammocks, and even a room with several chests, all labeled in a messy scrawl and all locked.

After about five minutes of this silent tour, they came to a stop in front of another room with no door. In this one, a large man in green stirred a pot.

Mabel turned to Wendy and Pacifica and put a finger to her mouth. "I'll handle this," she whispered. She swung back around, straightened her back, and ambled into the room.

Pacifica peeked around the corner. _How's she going to convince him to give her food? Our cooks would flip their shit if I asked them for anything._

"Hey, Soos!" Mabel said. "I'm gonna take some stuff, okay? Wendy and I are having a picnic."

"Sure, dude!" the man – Soos? – replied. "Just don't take it all!"

Mabel gasped, fake offended. "Soos! I would never!"

She emerged shortly afterward, carrying a lumpy bundle of cloth. "Now to make it up to the crow's nest without being spotted," she said, smiling a mischievous smile.

They went back the way they'd came, and shortly after they passed Pacifica's room, they came the staircase that Pacifica knew would bring them to the top deck.

"Wendy, is the coast clear?" Mabel asked, turning to the redhead.

Wendy ran up the stairs and surveyed the deck, looking for all the world like a prairie dog poking its head out of its burrow. She turned back to Mabel and gave a thumbs up.

Mabel mounted the stairs, Pacifica right behind her.

"On the count of three, we make a break for the nearest mast," Mabel said. "Wendy, you stay below and keep lookout." She reached back and gripped Pacifica's left hand tightly. "Ready?"

Pacifica nodded tightly, her heart already pounding.

"One, two, three!"

Hand in hand, they sprinted for the mast. Pacifica's heart sped up even more, her feet pounding out a steady rhythm for it to follow. She glanced over at Mabel, who, true to form, had a huge smile on her face. Pacifica couldn't help but smile back, a breathless laugh escaping her as they neared the mast.

"Now climb!" Mabel said, pushing her to the ladder. "Go, go go!" _She's laughing too,_ Pacifica realized as she scaled the mast, and grinned.

They reached the top in record time, flopping down at the top in a heap of panting giggles.

"Did- did anyone spot us?" Pacifica said through her laughter.

"I sure hope not!"

Pacifica leaned against the wood rim of the crow's nest and tried to regain control of her breath. "That was… that was probably the most fun I've ever had," she said.

Mabel sat up and scooted over to sit next to her. "More fun than your fancy rich-girl parties?" she teased. "More fun than your fancy rich-girl embroidery? More fun than being cooped up in your tower, even?"

"A million times more fun than those things," Pacifica said honestly, smiling at Mabel. "Hey, what did you do with that food? I'm kinda hungry."

Mabel grinned and reached down her bodice, pulling out the bundle. "Ta-da!" she said, sounding ridiculously proud.

Pacifica laughed. Her cheeks were starting to get sore from all this smiling, but she really didn't care. _Who cares if it hurts? This is the happiest I've ever been. I'm not missing out on this._

Mabel unwrapped the bundle, producing wedges of cheese and a loaf of bread. Pacifica grabbed a hunk of cheese and began to eat.

"Someone was hungry," Mabel teased.

"I didn't get any breakfast until now!" Pacifica protested, her mouth full of cheese.

"Yeah, yeah," Mabel said, poking Pacifica's stomach. "I'm not just gonna sit here while you eat all the food. You have to reward me for this."

Pacifica rolled her eyes, although for once there was no malice in it, and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "How can I appease you, O Great and Mighty Mabel who brings me food?"

"Tell me something about yourself," said Mabel, propping her chin on her hand. "I don't actually know a lot about you."

"Well," Pacifica said, still chewing, "my favorite color is pink."

Mabel hit Pacifica's shoulder lightly. "I love pink!"

"It's just so pretty and bright and cheerful," said Pacifica. _Like you,_ she added in her head.

"Tell me something else," Mabel suggested.

"Um… I had never left my house except to go to parties and stuff before this."

"What?" Mabel gasped. "You've never, like, been in a city? Or to a market? Have you ever seen a larger body of water than your bathtub?"

"Mabel, we're on a ship right now," Pacifica pointed out. "Of course I have."

Mabel glared at her. "I meant before this, doofus."

"Yeah," Pacifica said. "Once my father had a party on his boat. That was the farthest from home I've ever been."

"Why didn't you sneak out or anything?" asked Mabel, sounding puzzled.

Pacifica dropped her gaze. "Let's just say my parents wouldn't be too happy if I snuck out," she said quietly.

Mabel's face scrunched up in sympathy. "Oh, Pacifica," she said gently, placing a hand on the other girl's knee. "Look, I'm really sorry. Your parents are huge jerks if they make you feel that sad."

Pacifica looked up at Mabel and smiled a little at her concern. "Thanks, Mabel," she said. "Honestly, I kind of hope I never have to go back to them. I know it'll never happen, but I can dream, right?"

Mabel looked thoughtful. "Never have to go back… Paz, I've got it!" Pacifica looked at her, confused. "You can stay onboard the Mystery Shack and be a pirate with me!"

"That sounds pretty great," Pacifica admitted. "But how are you going to convince your uncle to let me stay on? Doesn't he, like, really want his ransom money?"

Mabel waved a hand in the air. "I'll think of something," she said confidently. "Now, where were we?"

"You should tell me something about yourself," Pacifica said, picking up another wedge of cheese. "It's totally your turn."

"Okay," Mabel said. She took in a deep breath, then said, "I really – wait, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Pacifica said, cocking her head. Sure enough, there was the sound of shouting from the ship's deck. The voice was deep, gravelly, and furious. "Who's that?"

Mabel turned around and peered over the rim of the crow's nest. "Oh no," she whispered, sounding horrified.

"What? What is it?" Pacifica looked over the edge. Far below, she could see a man glaring up at them. Both his jacket and pants were black, but his hat was brightly colored, vividly red and gold. "Mabel?" she repeated. "Who's that?"

"That," Mabel said unhappily, "is Grunkle Stan. And we just got caught."


	6. VI: Home

**A/N: sorry bout the late update. my mental state was fairly sucky on Thursday and i couldn't force myself to finish the chapter. Here it is now, though, i hope you like it! if you do, please leave a review!**

"Caught?" Pacifica repeated, her stomach sinking to her toes.

"Caught," affirmed Mabel. "Don't worry. It's Stan. He's just gonna bluster around pretending to be mad until we apologize, and then he'll let us off with a warning, which we're going to ignore. It'll be fine."

Pacifica looked back over the rim of the crow's nest. Below, Stan was pacing back and forth, gesturing angrily. Wendy stood near the mast, looking cowed.

"His anger seems pretty real to me," she muttered.

Mabel dropped onto the ladder. "Come on, Paz," she said. "We might as well get this over with."

Pacifica descended as slowly as she could. When her parents got angry, they locked her away in her room for days on end. If the most cultured couple in Britain would deny their only daughter food, water, and company for forgoing a petticoat, what punishments would a pirate captain dream up?

When she got to the bottom, Stan was mid-rant. "—want us to lose the biggest sum we'll ever get? What if she had jumped overboard? We aren't too far from shore, and plenty of ships cross through these waters. Mabel, are you even listening to me? Mabel! We need this money!"

"And Pacifica needs a home!" Mabel said vehemently. "Please, at least think about it."

Pacifica wrinkled her nose. _What is she talking about? I have a home._

Stan snorted. "What are you talking about? She has a home." _That's what I'm saying!_

"Not a real one! Did you know her parents don't let her out of the house? They mistreat her, I'm sure. Dipper told me that when he told her you got at me, she freaked out and started yelling for you not to hurt me and stuff. She tries to keep her guard up, but I can see that she's actually happy when she's here, away from her horrible parents. We can't take that away from her. You can't just force her back to that kind of life!"

It was like someone had hit her with a shovel.

Everything that Mabel had just said about her was true. Every single thing. She worked so hard to cultivate her uncaring façade, and Mabel had dismantled it in seconds. Was she really that transparent? Somehow Pacifica doubted it. No one had ever figured her out like that before. Hell, most of those things she hid from even herself, ignoring them to the best of her ability. Mabel just had a way of reading people, of looking at them and understanding.

She almost missed Stan's response, jerking herself out of her thoughts in time to hear, "Kid, I'm sorry. But we really need that ransom money."  
"What if she stayed on with us?" Mabel pleaded. "I could teach her to shoot, and I'm sure she knows lots of stuff that could help us earn the money back!"

"You were serious about that?" Pacifica asked, volume barely above a whisper. Mabel's idea had been nice, but Pacifica hadn't expected it to actually be a genuine offer.

"Of course!" Mabel said, turning toward her. "Paz, I don't wanna force you into anything. But wouldn't you be so much happier here with us?"

"I…" Pacifica paused. _I can't just stay here. That would never work out._

 _Why not?_ murmured a little voice in the back of her head. _Why couldn't you stay here? What's stopping you?_

 _My parents would come looking for me! And… and… I don't have any clothes here, except this nightgown, and…_

 _Would they?_ the voice asked doubtfully. _You could deal with them if they did. And your_ _clothes_ _? That is no excuse._ Here the voice sharpened, sounding a little like her mother. _Pacifica, that's completely trivial. Someone could make new clothes for you, I'm sure. Or,_ and suddenly the voice was Mabel's, _you could try making your own clothes. If you're gonna be a pirate, you're gonna have to get used to doing stuff on your own!_

 _It would be really different, that's for sure. But… a good different, I think. Mabel was right – I'm happiest here._

 _Well, I guess that's all there is for it. I'm going to be a pirate._

Pacifica took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sure," she said. "Yeah. I'll join your crew."

Mabel clasped her hands together and twirled around, her skirt swishing out around her. "Hooray!" Abruptly, she stopped spinning and launched herself at Pacifica. "Paz, I'm so happy for you! We're gonna climb the masts, and I'll teach you to shoot, and—and—" She pulled back just enough to look Pacifica in the eyes, brown on blue. "This is gonna be amazing!"

Pacifica stared at Mabel and managed a small, breathy laugh. Their noses were barely touching, and Mabel's hands were on her cheeks, cupping her face. Her stomach was a mess of nerves and happiness and _she's so close soso close I could kiss her right now oh my god ohmygod—_

Stan coughed. Pacifica yanked back, her cheeks aflame. Mabel backed up a little (was she blushing, or was that just wishful thinking?) "Uh… yeah. I'm… really excited too," Pacifica said, smiling at the ground. "I mean, as long as it's okay with your great uncle and everything."

"Grunkle Stan, _please_?" Mabel said earnestly. "We could earn all the money back, I know it.

Stan frowned. "Well…" he said, sounding defeated, "if it's really so important to you, I guess I could allow it."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" It was Stan's turn to be tackled now, and he staggered under Mabel's weight.

"Yeah, yeah," he said gruffly. It was obvious he was trying not to smile and failing miserably. "But _only_ if the ransom is an amount you can make up, you hear me?"

Mabel nodded vigorously. "Got it, Captain Stan!"

Stan rolled his eyes. "Alright, now back to whatever you two miscreants were doing. I've got merchants to attack."

"I'll just… go…" came a voice from behind them. Pacifica turned to see Wendy edging away. _Oh, right. She was supposed to be lookout. That worked out well._

"Not so fast," Stan barked. "I've got some words for you too." Wendy backed up more, looking alarmed, then broke into a run, dashing belowdecks.

" _Wendy_!" Stan bellowed, and sprinted after her. Below Pacifica's feet, she could hear a sharp clattering, like boots on wood, as Wendy tried to escape.

"Uh… is Wendy going to be… okay?" Pacifica asked. Back at home – _but that wasn't her home now, was it?_ – a servant would be fired for that kind of insubordination.

"Of course," said Mabel. "She and Stan do this a lot."

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. "Okay then."

Mabel smiled. "So. Now that you're gonna be part of our crew—"

"Only if we can make up the ransom," Pacifica interjected.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll be able to, I know it! Anyway, you're gonna need to know how to shoot, and what to do in case of a raid, and probably some clothes, huh?"

"Where do you guys even get clothes? Do you have, like, a tailor on board or something?"

"Well, I'm kinda the stand-in tailor," Mabel said. "I make most of the clothes and patch everything up. I'm pretty good at sewing and knitting and all that, if I do say so myself."

"I don't doubt it." Mabel just seemed like the kind of girl who would be effortlessly good at anything she tried.

Mabel didn't say anything in return, just looked at Pacifica with a gentle, dreamy kind of look on her face. Pacifica glanced to the side, then back up at Mabel. She was still staring. _Do I have something on my face? Is she just blanking out? What do I do?!_

Pacifica cleared her throat. "Um, Mabel? You're kind of staring at me."

Mabel shook her head, seeming to come back to reality. "Sorry! I was just… Uh, your eyes are really pretty."

Pacifica blushed and looked at her hands. "Thanks."

Mabel suddenly clapped her hands together. "I'm just so excited! This is going to be amazing. Oh, I'll have to introduce you to our crew! You know what, let's do that now!"

Pacifica smiled and let herself be pulled along. _I can't believe it. I'm going to stay on! I'm going to stay with Mabel._

 _This is going to be amazing._


	7. VII: Tears

**A/N: sorry for how short this chapter is! i think next chapter will make up for this one's lack of eventfulness, though. ;))))) (also, £10,000 then is like $1,000,000 now.)**

 _This is terrible._

"I—I don't understand," Pacifica said, knotting her hands in her hair. "I can't stay on? Why?"

Dipper sighed heavily and leaned against her wall. "Grunkle Stan got your ransom note back. They promised ten thousand pounds."

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "That's like, the cost of three parties. They were being cheap, trust me."

"Well, that cheapness is gonna set us up for the rest of our lives." He laughed bitterly. "You should have seen Stan's eyes light up. Money is his only motivation."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Pacifica asked, a note of desperation creeping into her voice. "I mean, it can't be _that_ hard to make up ten thousand pounds. Right? Dipper! Right?"

"Look, Pacifica. I'm really, really sorry. I've seen how happy you make Mabel, and honestly, you're not bad company. But Stan won't budge, and I almost don't blame him. We'll likely never get a chance this good again." He stared at the floor, looking almost ashamed in the gray light filtering through her window.

Pacifica opened her mouth to protest and found herself speechless. Her chest felt as if it was collapsing in on itself. She tried again to speak, but her throat tightened, letting out only a gasping exhale. _Well, I guess that's it. That teaches me to hope._

Her eyes were filling, and she squeezed them shut against the flood she knew was coming. _Don't cry. You knew this wouldn't last. Pacifica. Don't cry._

The tears came anyway.

They traced gentle trails down her face, soothingly warm. _It's alright,_ the tears seemed to say. _Let it out._ Save for a few dry sobs, the tears came silently, dripping down her chin. Her cheeks felt sticky and damp, as if she'd been in the pouring rain outside, and she welcomed the wet feeling. Deep breath, let it out. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. The tears began to slow.

Her bed sank a little as Dipper sat down. He reached out, slowly, tentatively, and patted her back. "I'm sorry, Pacifica, I really am. Mabel's been crying all day too. I wish we'd been able to convince Stan, but he's really stubborn." He laughed weakly. "Sure would be cool if there was a way for you to stay on and we still got the ransom."

"Yeah," Pacifica said. "Sure would be."

Dipper's expression shifted from comforting to thoughtful. "Wait a second. There _is_ a way. There are actually a lot of ways. I—yeah, I think—" He stood and began pacing. "I mean, we'd have to convince Grunkle Stan, but if we played our cards right—yeah, I think we could do it!"

Pacifica stood too, compelled to her feet by what Dipper was suggesting. "Wait. You have an idea for how I could stay on? I could—I could be with Mabel? And you, and Wendy, and – well, I don't know about Stan, but – I could stay here? You think it'll work?"

"Yeah," said Dipper, turning to her. His face was alight with excitement. "I think it'll work."

"Well, what is it?!" Pacifica asked, unable to curb her elation.

"Well, before I tell you, we need to get Mabel. She'll kill us if we plan this without her," Dipper said. "But trust me, this is a good plan. I mean, it's worked before."

"What do you mean, it's worked before?"

Dipper grinned. "Well, we kidnapped you successfully the first time, didn't we?"


End file.
